Posted on 10/02/2004 5:17:20 PM PDT by HAL9000
The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Friday afternoon that independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader can be on the November general election ballot in Arkansas.The state Supreme Court ordered the state to include Nader and vice presidential candidate Peter Miguel Camejo on the ballots as the Populist Party of Arkansas candidates.
The court ruling overturns a circuit court judge who ordered election officials not to print the November second ballots with Nader's name on them. Circuit Judge Timothy Fox, ruling in a lawsuit brought by the state Democratic Party, said the signators who petitioned for Nader to be on the ballot did not declare him as their candidate.
Nader appealed Fox's ruling to the high court. The high court agreed with the Populist Party that Fox's interpretation of state law was unconstitutional.
The high court said state law does not stipulate that an electorate name "their" candidate for president or vice President. The court ruling noted that law only requires that the signer of the petition state their desire that the named candidates appear on the ballot, the court ruling noted.
The ruling said Fox's interpretation of the law quote "leads not only to an absurd result, but also renders the provision unconstitutional" and quote "infringes upon one of the fundamental civil liberties of our democracy, that of the secret ballot."
Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese said he was pleased with the court's decision and that the court respected the right of voters to have choices.
Ron Oliver, chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said he was disappointed but doubtful that Nader's presence on the ballot would make a difference in the state's presidential election.
Oliver said a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush, but he didn't think enough people were going to do it to have any real affect.
"I wonder why ANYone is worrying or thinking about Nader and his 1%."
I'm thinking about Nader, because I think his personality is such that he would tell his backers to vote Republican just to spite the Democrats who are treating him so badly. He just has to reach a certain tipping point.
(Democrats lose lawsuit, delay ballots to troops)
Shouldn't "delay ballots to troops" be a win for them ?
Since the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the Democrats' lawsuit was without merit - the delay itself should be an issue in the election.
The Democrats tried to disenfranchise our troops overseas - over a cheap publicity stunt lawsuit. The Arkansas GOP should place ads on TV to advise voters of this fact.
No, it's about delaying absentee ballots to suppress the overseas military vote...IMHO
"Since the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the Democrats' lawsuit was without merit - the delay itself should be an issue in the election.
You can't unring the bell - if the delay negates some military votes, will a fine add more votes to Bush's side ?
How much would the Dems gladly pay to kill each military vote ?
Hey, let's HEAR it for cheese!
I think that he is being GROSSLY overestimated here. But, that's just my opinion.
Last election the Llibertarians were POSITIVE that their candidate would make some numberical difference in the election. That was a giant overestimation. He was as visible, potent and important as gnat droppings in pepper.
To me, THAT is Nader's nadir...gnat droppings in pepper.
I don't get the connection. What has Nader got to do with suppression of overseas military ballots?
Elucidate.
Nader took 10's of thousands of votes from Gore in Florida, yes some of them might of not bothered voting if there was no Nader on the ballot, but enough would have voted for Gore to erase that 537.
Every close state that Nader can run in can only help President Bush in this election.
The Nader situation delayed the mailing of absentee ballots here in NM too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.